Ear-phone or aid to hearing



y 16, 1933- F. P. KINSLEY ET AL 1,908,850

EAR PHONE OR AID TO HEARING Filed March 11, 1932 ir m'flaleyfaflellsokmafl Show ,1

Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFICE FELIX P. KINSLEY ANDJEROME CORNEL FLEISCHMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI EAR-PHONE OR AID TOHEARING Application filed March 11, 1932;

This invention relates to improvements in artificial hearing aids andpertains particularly to an ear-phone designed to be inserted into orattached to the ear.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an instrumentwhich supplies an artificial ear-drum for the aid of the hearing inpersons who have partly lost the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for aiding thehearing which is provided with a freely vibrating element designed to beacted upon by the sound waves, and a sounding fork which is caused tovibrate in resonance with the first mentioned vibrating member and whichis located in the auditory meatus in close proximity to the tympanicmembrane.

A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument of theabove described characterwhich may be made light in weight and of a sizeto be relatively inconspicuous.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformitywith the showing of the drawing but maybe changed or modified so long assuch changes or modifications ,mark no material departure from thesalient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a view of the device embodying the presentinvention, in side elevation and showing the same in applied position;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through the device;

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the device;

Figure 4 is a face view of the sound receiving disks showing the mannerin which the same are formed and showing a portion of the tuning fork towhich the same are attached.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts throughout the Serial No.598,282.

several views, the numeral 1 indicates as a whole the device embodyingthe present invention, the same being shown in Figure l in appliedposition.

As is clearly shown the instrument comprises a sound receivingshellportion 2 which is roughly of bulbous formation and has extending fromwhat may be termed the rear side thereof and at the reduced end, thesound conducting tube 3 which is open at its outer end as indicated at 4and which is constricted intermediate its ends, as indicated at 5. Thefront side of the shell 2 has cut therethrough a series of openings 6 byway of which sound waves enter the shell 2 and these openings arepreferably arranged in a circular series and radiating from a commoncenter with one edge of the opening arched upwardly or outwardly and theopposite edge bent'or arched inwardly.

The openings 6 are preferably confined to the lower portion of the shellor the portion of greatest width and disposed within the shell andsecured at one end to the wall at the bottom thereof is a singleelongated tuning bar 7 which extends to the opposite or reduced endportion of the shell Where it is bent to form a neck 8 which directs thefree end into and along the. longitudinal center of the tube 3 where itmerges into the tuning fork terminus 9 which extends through the tube 8and has its free ends terminating adjacent the opening 4.

Mounted upon the bar 7 to extend from the front to the rear of the shellupon the axial center of the circular series of sound receiving openingsis a pin member 10 upon which are supported three spiral oscillatingdisks or tambours 11, two of which are in front of the sounding bar 7and one to the rear thereof.

These disks are separated a suitable distance by suitable spacingwashers or rings 12 so that they will not touch or otherwise interfereone with the other.

As previously stated the sound inlet openings 6 are disposed in fan-likefashion in the front wall or dome of the shell and have their adjacentedges oppositely curved so as to cause the sound waves to enter theshell in a spiral manner for contact with the spiral disks or tambourswhich are mounted on the pin 10. These tambours are made of very finemetal pierced or cut in the form of a spiral so that they will morereadily react to the contact of sound waves therewith. The sound wavesset up an oscillation of the tambours and thesewaves are transferredtherefrom through the pin 9 to the tuning bar 7 which is caused tovibrate in resonance therewith and this resonant vibration is thenconducted to the fork 9 which is housed in the tube 3 and from there thevibrations are transferred to the bony process of the head with whichthe tube is in contact and to the tympanic membrane which is in closeproximity to the open end 4.

As shown in Figure 1 the present instrument is placed in operativeposition by inserting the tube 3 into the auditory meatus of the earwhere it is held by the engagement of the tragus and antitragus in theconstricted portion 5.

Another function of the instrument resides in the transferal of thesound vibrations received by the tambours and passed on by the tuningfork, to the bony structure of the ear to bring about bone conduction ofsound or what may be described as collateral hearing. Thus, it will beseen that the present device will aid the hearing by acting as anartificial eardrum, in persons whose drums have been destroyed throughinjury or disease. In aiding the hearing by conduction of sound by wayof the bony structure of the ear and skull, collateral hearin is broughtabout by resonating the sound to the metal ear and thus by bonyconduction causing the perilymph to be set in motion which in turn actsupon the endolymph which sets into vibration the three hammer bones as awhole and wafts the sound to the cilia of the auditory nerve.

It is also found that in the partly deaf, in whom the middle ear isdestroyed and also the three hammer bones (the incus, halles, andstapes), which in the normal do not act independently, but act as awhole, if these become fixed and do not vibrate, the inner or basilarsurface of the drum or tympanum may be reached by the sound waves by acombination of resonance and bone con uction.

While in the foregoing a single design of disk or tambour has been shownand described it is to be understood that the invention isnot to belimited to this structure for it will be apparent that these disks maybe pierced in any design which may be found to give the best results asregards sensitivity to sound waves. i

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. An ear-phoneof the character described comprising a shell body having soundvibration receiving openings in one wall, a tube leading from theopposite wall of the shell from the said openings to carry soundvibrations into the auditory meatus of the ear, the tube being designedto snugly fit therein, a vibrating element disposed in the shell beforesaid openings, and a second vibrating element connected with the firstelement and extending into the tube and designed to be caused to vibratein resonance with the first element.

2. An ear-phone of the character described comprising a shell having onewall provided with inlet openings for the reception of sound vibrations,a tube leading from a wall opposite the first mentioned wall and open atits free end and further being designed to extend into and snugly engagein the auditory meatus of the ear, a vibrating bar secured at one end tothe wall of the shell in which it is housed and having its other endextended in and longitudinally of said tube, and a tambour disposed inthe shell before said openings to receive the sound vibrations enteringthe same and connected with said bar for transmitting the vibrationsthereto.

3. An ear-phone of the character described comprising a shell bodyhaving a series of apertures in one wall for the reception of soundvibrations, a tubular men'ibcr extending from the opposite wall fromthat in which the apertures are formed and having the free end open andfurther being desi ned to snugly fit in the auditory meatus or the ear,a bar member in the shell secured at one end to the wall of the shelland extending therethrough to a point adjacent the opposite side thereofand having its other end extended at right angles into said tube, a pincarried by said bar and disposed in a line extending transversely of thewall in which the openings are formed, and disk elements disposed inspaced relation upon said pin and of a character to be set intovibration by sound waves entering the shell, the said waves beingtransferred to said bar for conduction into the auditory meatus throughthe free end of the bar.

4. An ear-phone of the character described comprising a shell bodyhaving a series of apertures in one wall for the reception of soundvibrations, a tubular member extending from the opposite wall from thatin which the apertures are formed and having the free end open andfurther being designed to snugly fit in the auditory meatus of the ear,a bar member in the shell secured at one end to the wall of the shelland extending therethrough to a point adjacent the opposite side thereofand having its other end extended at right angles into said tube, a pincarried by said bar and disposed in a line extending transversely of thewall in which the openings are formed, and disk elements disposed inspaced relation upon said pin and of a character to be set intovibration by sound Waves entering the shell, the said waves beingtransferred to said bar for conduction into the auditory meatus throughthe free end of the bar, said disks being formed of a relatively thinlight metal and pierced to form a flat spiral.

5. An ear-phone of the character described comprising a shell bodyhaving one side Wall rounded or dome-like and having a plurality ofelongated apertures formed in the rounded wall, said apertures beingdisposed to radiate from a common center, a tube leading from a wall ofthe shell opposite the domed wall and having an open free end anddesigned to fit into the auditory meatus of the ear, a vibrating barWithin the shell and secured at one end to the Wall thereof andextending therethrough to the opposite side and having its free endextended at right angles therefrom and into said tube and terminating ina fork, a pin member carried by the bar and disposedupon the axialcenter of said radially disposed apertures, and a plurality of disksdisposed in spaced relation upon and each centrally traversed by saidpin, said disks being set into vibration by sound Waves entering theapertures and transferring the vibrations to the forked end of thetuning bar.

6. An ear-phone of the character described comprising a shell bodyhaving one side Wall rounded or dome-like and having a plurality ofelongated apertures formed in the roundedwall, said apertures beingdisposed to radiate from a common center, a tube leading from a Wall ofthe shell opposite the domed Wall and having an open free end anddesigned to fit into the auditory meatus of the ear, a vibrating barwithin the shell and secured at one end to the wall thereof andextending therethrough to the opposite side and having its free endextended at right angles therefrom and into said tube and terminating ina fork, a pin member carried by the bar and disposed upon the axialcenter of said radially disposed apertures, and a plurality of disksdisposed in spaced relation upon and each centrally traversed by saidpin, said disks being set into vibration by sound waves entering theapertures and transferring the vibrations to the forked end of thetuning bar, said disks each being pierced to form a flat spiral and theportion of the bar to which they are attached being disposed between apair thereof.

7. An ear phone, comprising a sound receiving chamber having a wallprovided with a sound wave passing opening, a vibratory element mountedin the chamber before said openin a tubular extension of a wall of thecham er adapted to be extended into the auditory meatus of the ear, anda sounding element disposed in said extension and mounted to vibratefreely and in resonance with Waves picked up and transferred thereto bysaid element.

8. An ear phone, comprising a sound receiving chamber having a wallprovided With a sound wave passing opening, a support in the chamber, avibratory element mounted on said support before said opening, a tubularextension of a wall of the chamber adapted to be extended into theauditory meatus of the ear, and a vibratory sounding element mounted onsaid support and extending into said tubular extension.

9. A hearing aid, comprising a body forming a sound Wave receivingchamber and designed to be placed adjacent the outer end of the auditorymeatus of the ear and having an opening in one Wall to be directed intothe meatus and an opening in the opposite wall for the passage of soundwaves into the chamber, and a freely Vibrating element mounted in thechamber to be set into vibratory motion by sound Waves entering thechamber, said element having two portions, one portion being positionedbefore the opening in said opposite Wall and the other portion beingdisposed in the first opening.

10. A hearing aid, comprising a hollow substantially elliptical bodyforming a sound wave receiving chamber and designed to be placedadjacent the outer end of the auditory meatus of the ear and having anopening in one Wall to be directed into the meatus and a plurality ofslits in the opposite wall radiating from a common center for thepassage of sound waves into the chamber, and means in the chamber forpicking up and amplifying the sound waves entering through said slitsand conducting them to the said opening.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

FELIX P. KINSLEY.

JEROME CORNEL FLEISGHMAN.

